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Inquiry underway to identify recipients of PTL’s 10,000 cheques

SASG informs Fort Magistrate:

Senior Additional Solicitor General (SASG) Haripriya Jayasundera yesterday told Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that a comprehensive inquiry was underway to identify those who had received approximately 10,000 cheques issued by the Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) and its subsidiaries at the time of Treasury bond scams in 2015 and 2016.

Jayasundera told court that in connection with the inquiry details pertaining to accounts maintained at various banks had been obtained.

Magistrate Jayaratne directed Jeffrey Aloysius of PTL to be present in court on July 5 as he had disregarded previous directive to cooperate with the Criminal Investigation department (CID) by providing investigators the required information.

The directive was issued in response to SASG’s complaint that Aloysius had not furnished financial statement of PTL prepared by a Chartered Account, as instructed by the Fort Magistrate on June 7, 2018.

The SASG further informed the court that Jeffrey Aloysius hadn’t revealed the password to access the computer system at the PTL main office, which was searched by the CID recently.

The SASG sought court approval to secure the services of former Chief Technical Officer, PTL, Sachith Madushankar Devatantri and technical officer Upeka Madushankar to access the computer system. The court was informed that Devatantri could provide the required password.

In spite of objections by Kalinga Indratissa, PC, Magistrate Jayaratne directed Jeffrey Aloysius, Devatantri and Madushankar to co-operate with the CID during July 25, 2018-July 5, 2018 period.

The SASG told court that the CID was currently focusing its inquiry on the first Treasury bond scam on Feb 27, 2015. The probe was aimed at identifying those who had benefited from that scam, the court was told.

The court was informed that the CID had received a statement from a person identified as N. Ravindranath Dias, who confirmed a State Minister had received Rs. 3 mn from PTL subsidiary, W.M. Mendis and Co.

The court was further told that both Arjun Aloysius and Kasun Palisena, owner and CEO of PTL, respectively, hadn’t complied with a court directive dated March 15, 2018 to furnish details of assets and funds held by them both here and abroad, directly and indirectly.

The SASG told court that W.M. Mendis an Co. had submitted a list of all payments made to companies and individuals over the past several years.

Kolitha Dharmawardena, PC, representing W.M. Mendis and Company informed court that his client was ready to do as instructed by court. He said that it would take some time as records/ transactions pertaining to three years were required.